Crate of Thunder: Mickey and Mousey

Who in the world would rather study for an endocrine test than wander New York City with the one and only Mary, a.k.a. Mousey? Certainly not me, which is what made last weekend fantastically fun-filled rather than sadistically study-filled. My Friday consisted of over 9 miles of walking throughout the city, which may sound like a lot, but Mary easily covered double that because of her previous run and post-me-leaving wanderings. Impressive, to say the least.

We began mid-Central Park and proceeded to go wherever we pleased...

Snaking through the city blocks, we made it to the "oldest bar in New York" for a cold, thirst-quenching round of beer on the hot afternoon.

Motorcaded dignitaries driving past, coming from the U.N. General Assembly. Ridiculous headlines in the New York Post. Times Square madness, crowding, and lights. The cheapest Indian lunch buffet I've ever seen. Beer in the afternoon. "Jews for Jesus." I'd say it was a successful day.

The next day, I headed to Staten Island to stay with the Lunds, the Coast Guard family that Mary had been staying with during most of her visit. Totally incidentally, I happened to be on the ferry during sunset.

More beautiful than usual.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early to make our way to Red Hook, Brooklyn, for the Tunnel to Towers race. This race is run every year to commemorate firefighter Stephen Siller. When he heard that the towers had been hit on 9/11, he abandoned his car at the blocked-off Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, running the length of the tunnel in his full gear to help at Ground Zero. He lost his life that day, along with hundreds of other courageous civil servicemen. This year, over 20,000 people ran in the 5K race, which takes the runners through the tunnel and around Battery Park, ending near Ground Zero. It means a heck of a lot to a heck of a lot of people, and it was an incredible experience to be a part of it.